Re: [PATCH 00/16] MDIO and ethtool enhancements

[David Miller <davem@davemloft.net>]

From: Ben Hutchings <bhutchings@solarflare.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:01:26 +0100

> The first part of this series introduce counterparts to <linux/mii.h>
> and the mii module for use with MDIO clause 45 devices and controllers
> that support both clause 22 and clause 45, and change several 10G
> Ethernet drivers to use them.
> 
> The remaining patches are a bit miscellaneous:
> - Extend generic flow control/pause frame support and change the sfc
> driver to use it
> - Add fields to the ethtool_cmd structure to report the supported MDIO
> mode(s) and link partner advertising flags, and implement these in the
> mdio and mii modules
> - Add support for backplane (1000BASE-KR and 10GBASE-KR/KX4) modes to
> ethtool and the mdio module

I like these changes, I'll add them to net-next-2.6 and we can
further refine them as-needed.

> I have a few questions to be resolved:
> - Is the naming of functions and constants in <linux/mdio.h> reasonable,
> or is more qualification required?

I think those are fine.

> - Is it reasonable to carry on using the MII ioctl interface with flags?

I don't know, I'm a little disappointed it's still around but
I suppose someone finds it useful.

> - Are there more drivers that could use these generic definitions (I
> haven't looked at the Broadcom drivers yet)?

No idea.

> - Does the backplane code work at all (I don't have any suitable
> hardware yet)?

The code will be there so someone can play around and test it.